A bit tangential, but I’ve been reading (listening) to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_to_Unfreedom – it’s helping provide so much clarifying perspective to understand what is being done to us and why it is working. I highly recommend it! I fell like its giving me new tools to communicate and understand the nature of our predicament.
(Sorry, I got carried away trying to process my thinking here, and this is longer than I meant…)
Base narcissism may be the entire explanation here, but I think we should also be considering other possibilities. They are playing raw power politics, unanchored from norms and laws, and they have a long-term strategic vision: they know exactly what they are planning to do over the next 10 years and it is the culmination of plans that have been in motion for at least the last 50+ years. Obviously it includes extending the American empire.
Trumpism has so far been based on driving division and then weaponizing resentment and propaganda to mobilize, pacify, or mislead their side of the divide. But they also feed off the outrage of the opposing side: Trumpism wins by replacing rational discourse and fact-based consideration with partisan outrage and impulsive agitation.
The fact that Trump has been able to drive our country to increasing its own internal discord – bi-polarizing the electorate, sapping the left, stirring up fringe actors to trumpet factious images and rhetoric, while we have allowed our information systems to be overrun by deliberately manipulative propaganda campaigns from domestic and foreign reactionaries – All of this shows that the tactics of Trumpism work here. His reach can determine outcomes. This current election we were able so squeeze out a slim majorty win rejecting Trumpism. But it was indeed Trumpism on the ballot and there is ~2% difference in the popular vote! The fact that they were able to make the election about their divisive program, and then nearly win, seems worth celebrating in the context of a multi-decade program.
Now, that doesn’t explain why they would celebrate this particular outcome. But, had PP won now, it would be very awkward to move towards annexation, since it is wildly unpopular, and it would make no sense from the US side for the Trump admin to be demonizing a leadership and party who was obviously aligned with their values. Moves to that affect, and the reality that conservatives tend to make life worse for most people, would mean a likely backlash against the Cons in the next election.
However, with Carney and the liberals leading (by the slimmest coalition), Trumpism will be able to:
So, in short, I am worried that his satisfaction here is fully justified, based on their strategy.
I am not saying it would have been better for us in any way had the Cons won, tho. What I am saying is that this may be a move both sides needed for their best strategy, and I just hope we can fix some of the systemic dynamics that they are counting on driving our system into their hands.
How legal is this kind of activity? Do we not have regulations against CPAC-like activity?
Oh damn. I’m sorry to hear that. Wishing them the best recovery possible and a manageable transition into the new norm.